JAMESTOWN – Radio Station WRFA LP will present a three-part panel discussion on marginalized and underserved groups in Jamestown, NY later this month, to be broadcast live on the local airwaves and also video streamed on social media.
Community Conversation: Marginalized and Underserved Groups in Jamestown is intended to raise public awareness of specific groups in Jamestown and the challenges they face, both past and present. It will also work to identify solutions to overcome these challenges in order to bring more inclusiveness, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the community. Each panel discussion will feature representatives from five community groups, including the local African-American Community, the Hispanic Community, LGBTQ+ Community, those affected by Chemical Dependency, and those impacted by Generational Poverty.
WEEK 1 of the panel discussion took place on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. and focused on the past history of the groups, with a goal of educating the community on how long these groups have been in the community and some of the challenges they’ve faced in the past.
WEEK 1 – FULL VIDEO
WEEK 2 of the panel discussion took place on Thursday, Sept. 30 and focused on the present challenges and barriers facing the groups.
WEEK 2 FULL VIDEO
WEEK 3 took place on Thursday, Oct. 7 and involved identifying solutions for the community in order to bring more equity, inclusion, and accessibility for the groups.
WEEK 3 FULL VIDEO
All three panel conversations were broadcast live on WRFA LP 107.9 FM and also streamed on WRFA’s Facebook page and Youtube Channel.
The Community Conversation was co-moderated by Julia Ciesla-Hanley, WRFA Public Affairs Director, and Amit Taneja, Senior VP & Chief IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Officer at Chautauqua Institution. Over a dozen community members also appeared during the three-week program, including representatives from the Chautauqua County Hispanic Community Council, Chautauqua Opportunities, Evergreen Health, Jamestown Justice Coalition, Jamestown Pride, Mental Health Association of Chautauqua County, and The Resource Center.
“We hope this program will serve as an opportunity for the broader community to learn more about these groups and any barriers or obstacles they’ve faced in the past, as well as those they may still currently face,” explained WRFA station manager Jason Sample. “We also hope community leaders will take note of these challenges and work to address them, in order to provide more inclusiveness and accessibility for the individuals who are part of these community groups.”
Sample also noted that this program will serve as a springboard for additional conversations next year.
“Our project team identified nearly a dozen different groups that could be represented in the panel discussion. But due to time constraints, we felt it best to focus on five groups at this time. However, we plan to continue the panel discussions next year and focus on other groups that were not included in this program, including the physically disabled, the mentally disabled, and the homeless community, among others,” Sample said.
Funding for Community Conversation: Marginalized and Underserved Groups in Jamestown is made possible through a Humanities NY Action Grant, along with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The event is also supported, in part, by Reg Lenna Center for the Arts and The Labyrinth Press Co.
PANEL SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 – SEPTEMBER 23 – Past History of Groups and Challenges/Barriers faced
- Justin Hubbard (Jamestown Justice Coalition – African American Community)
- Gregory Rabb (JCC/Former City Council President/BPU Chair – LGBTQ+ Community)
- Max Martin (Chautauqua County Hispanic Community Council – Hispanic Community)
- Steve Cobb (Chautauqua County Mental Health Association – Chemical Dependency)
- Josiah Lamp (Chautauqua Opportunities – Generational Poverty)
WEEK 2 – SEPTEMBER 30 – Present State of Groups and current existing Challenges/Barriers, including any connected to COVID
- Rev. Chloe Smith (Community Activist – African American Community)
- Mickale Gilliam (JCC Student – LGBTQ+ Community)
- Milie Torres – Ruiz, (Jamestown Resident/Parent/Teacher – Hispanic Community)
- Sean Jones, (Chautauqua County Mental Health Association – Chemical Dependency)
- Terri Johnson (The Resource Center Generational Poverty)
WEEK 3 – OCTOBER 7 – Looking Toward Future and Discussing/Identifying Changes that Need to Take Place to remove Challenges/Barriers
- Tamu Graham Reinhardt (Jamestown City Council – African American Community)
- Emily Van Wey (Jamestown Pride/Prevention Works – LGTBQ+ Community)
- Solimar Vazquez (Jamestown Resident/Confidential Secretary to County Executive – Hispanic Community)
- Emma Fabian (Evergreen Health Services) (tentative)
- Josiah Lamp (Chautauqua Opportunities – Generational Poverty)
ABOUT: WRFA is a noncommercial, listener supported, low power FM radio station licensed to the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts. As a radio station licensed to a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization, all financial donations/contributions made to WRFA are 100% tax deductible. Businesses and organizations can also provide corporate underwriting for WRFA by making a tax-deductible contribution of $100 or more.
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